Once you're past the technical hurdles (and the brutal realization of just how easy it is to die in a swordfight or sea battle), Pirates of the Caribbean is an absolutely beautiful looking, freeform RPG adventure. But it is really suited for experienced, patient gamers rather than casual ones.

It's a cracking title, which makes excellent use of its 3D premise for genuine gameplay improvement. Its rendering of battlefields is superb and strategical, and ranks up there as one of the most enjoyable RTS titles we've been fortunate enough to play this year.

Faults aside, the adventurous out there will thoroughly enjoy the level design - it's a blast!

The story and the graphics certainly make the grade, but a few tweaks are still needed in the gameplay to cement this one as a classic.

Zen-state gamers who just want to cruise around and blow stuff up will need all their hands -- or at the very least, two of them -- on deck for this peculiar mix of navy action, splinter-theory weirdness and no-nonsense ship design.

It doesn't quite match the brilliance or originality of the first game, and it is looking a bit dated thanks to the Quake3 tech, but the core game is still loads of fun and well worth playing whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore Star Trek fan.

Advance Wars 2 doesn't take any hard turns from the formula established in the original... and this is one of those rare cases where an overall lack of innovation is probably a good thing in the end.

No lines are crossed and no boundaries are broken. Good stuff, but still stuff you've seen many times before.

While this game has some glimpses of the past greatness of the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is so full of glitches and other frustrations that it's hard to enjoy.

As a purchase, its replay value is a bit dubious, but for the skilled shooter, and even the casual action/adventure enthusiast, it's a terrifyingly amusing look at the world of low-budget horror flicks.

Ultimately, the only ones likely to enjoy RTX Red Rock are the hardcore sci-fi buffs who can look past the flawed game engine and through to the core story. There is a lot of potential in RTX, sadly most of it is unrealized.

It is as rough around the edges as its main character and most players will probably be put off after an initial bout of controller frustration. Those who stay with it will find an enjoyable and somewhat satisfying single-player experience, but nothing incredibly memorable.

Offers a professional, worthy campaign and is definitely a good buy for the price even if it isn't as satisfying a single-player RPG experience as Bioware's immortal "Baldur's Gate II" series.

It is as rough around the edges as its main character and most players will probably be put off after an initial bout of controller frustration. Those who stay with it will find an enjoyable and somewhat satisfying single-player experience, but nothing incredibly memorable.

Although the single-player feels like a bit of an afterthought, the action-packed, entertaining and well-executed multiplayer is first-rate - and with the genre still so sparse, it's probably the best online racer you can buy on any console platform.

Mindlessly amusing at first, Fistful of Boomstick is ultimately a fistful of monotony and derivative gameplay, saved from gaming's abyss by the humor and life injected from its infamous lead character.

One of the oddest things about Network Transmission is the game's learning curve that bucks convention by starting out frustratingly difficult and getting progressively easier.

Wakeboarding Unleashed may have a few rough edges, but it is a franchise that is destined for greatness. Incredibly playable and lots of fun

Wakeboarding Unleashed may have a few rough edges, but it is a franchise that is destined for greatness. Incredibly playable and lots of fun.

[Its] overall gameplay is nothing new and even the "extra" modes seem pretty desperate... but the base mechanics look terrific and ultra-smooth on the tiny GBA screen, and both newcomers and old-school fans alike will have something to go ape about.

While UM doesn't have the depth to go head-to-head with classic Aki titles from the days of Nintendo 64, it has done a great job of capturing the ludicrous fun of the show, with cel-shaded graphics and faithful character designs.

If you're a fan, there's no question about it - snap this one up without delay. With its snowy forests, ice-clad lakes, Nord villages and werewolves, Bloodmoon has plenty of new and interesting things to get your teeth into.

The bungled trick feature is really a disappointment, because the action-packed moto-racer hiding in Speed Kings would have been a fine thing on its own.

There's only so many tricks one can do on a bike cruising at 120mph. Variety is absolutely required, and there's not much in Speed Kings. And the trick control is not responsive enough.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

If you're tired of "Halo" -- and by now, you probably are -- it'll completely sate your desire for pretty, violent multiplayer action, and the options opened up by controlling a full team of commandos give it an original, fresh feel.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.